Filling valve for bottling liquids



p 1965 K. BROWN 3,207,188

' FILLING VALVE FOR BOTTLING LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 19, 1963 FIGI FIG 2 NVEN To A LE sus KENNETH fiou/M United States Patent FILLING VALVE FOR BOTTLI'NG LIQUIDS Leslie K. Brown, Westdene, Benoni, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, assignor to Lesbro Engineering Products (Proprietary) Limited, Germiston, Transvaal, Re-

public of South Africa Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 303,006 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-39) This invention relates to a filling valve for bottling carbonated beverages or the like.

Such beverages are normally introduced into a bottle from a supply of carbonated water which is necessarily maintained under substantial pressure. To prevent the carbonated water foaming when introduced into the bottle, particularly when the latter contains a supply of syrup, the bottle must be pregassed or placed under substantially the same pressure as the carbonated water before the latter is introduced into the bottle. This enables the carbonated water to gravitate into the bottle.

Conventional filling valves embody a main bell mouthed filling outlet having an internal seal against which the mouth of the bottle is pressed, and a gas tube extending axially through neck of the bottle. The bottle is thus placed in sealing engagement with the seal, pregassed by introduction of pressurised gas downwardly through the gas tube and the carbonated water introduced into the bottle and by displacement of the gas and air in the bottle causes a reverse flow of gas up the gas tube.

The position of the gas tube ports determines the filling level of the bottle since once the gas tube ports are covered by liquid no more gas is displaced from the bottle and there is, in practice, a reverse upward flow or liquid up the gas tube.

The liquid supply is then shut off and gas above the liquid in the bottle then snifted or released to atmosphere after the gas tube inlet has been closed off from the gas supply. There is then a relatively large amount of residual liquid left in the gas tube. the pregassing of the subsequent bottle this residual liquid is projected into the bottle to contact and disturb the syrup in the bottle subsequently resulting in foaming on release of pressure in the bottle with well known detrimental effects of such foaming. In practice it is very diflicult to prevent liquid flow into the gas tube by adjustment of the operation of the liquid supply valve so that the liquid level does not reach the gas tube ports especially when the filling machine is stopped during a filling cycle.

Attempts 'have been made to overcome this cause of foaming by fitting a small float valve at the bottom of the gas tube but this has been found to be ineffective and it is the object of this invention to provide a filling valve assembly incorporating means which will eflectively pre vent liquid inflow int-o the gas tube.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a filling valve for introduction of gasified liquids into containers including a body having a filling outlet fitted with a gas tube, and a liquid flow responsive valve at the bottom of the gas tube comprising a sleeve extending from the end of the gas tube, a bottom closure to the sleeve with a nozzle projecting upwardly therefrom into the interior of the sleeve, an inwardly facing valve seat in the sleeve spaced from the top of the nozzle and communicating with the interior of the gas tube, .a thimble loosely fitted on the nozzle, a valve surface on the top of the thimble, a port through the bottom closure and communicating with the interior of the nozzle and a port of restricted size through the wall of the nozzle and below the bottom of the thimble.

the outlet and seal into the As a result during The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the filling valve outlet with a bottle in the filling position, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the liquid flow responsive valve at the bottom of the gas tube.

As shown in FIG. '1, the filling valve outlet 1 comprises a bell mouth 2 fitted with an internal seal 3 against which the mouth 4 of a bottle 5 is pressed during a filling operation. Gas is introduced under pressure into the bottle via gas tube 6 and liquid introduced therein via annulus 7 or any other equivalent passageway. The liquid flowing into the bottle displaces'the gas therein which then flows upwardly through the gas tube 6 to the main supply tank.

The above described arrangement is conventional but this invention differs from such conventional arrangement by the use of the special type of valve 8 fitted on the lower end of the gas tube 6.

The structure of the valve 8 is clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown it comprises a sleeve 9 fitted on the end of the gas tube 6 and embodying at its upper end an internal downwardly facing valve seat 10 which communicates directly with the interior of the gas tube.

The bottom of sleeve 9 is closed by a stepped plug 11 having an axial large diameter branched port 12 therethrough. The top branch 13 extends axially through the upper part of plug 11 and a cylindrical nozzle 14 is fitted on the plug 11 to form an extension of branch 13. The lower branches 15 of port 12 are directed outwardly.

On nozzle 14 is loosely and slidably fitted a light cylindrical thimble 16 on the top of which is fitted a sealing valve 17 adapted to bear against seat 10. The thimble 16 does not extend the full depth of the nozzle 14, and positioned below the bottom of the thimble 16 when it is resting on the nozzle as shown in FIG. 2, are radial ports 18 or gaseous flow by-pass extending through the wall of the nozzle 14 and providing a fluid conductor.

In use the bottle 5 is pregassed by a downward flow of gas through gas tube 6 and annulus 19 between sleeve 9 and nozzle 14 and thence through port 12 into the bottle. Thereafter as the liquid flows into the bottle 5 there is a reverse flow of gas through these passageways until the liquid level reaches the sleeve 9 and also starts to flow upwardly through port 12. This liquid flows upwardly as a jet through branch 13 and nozzle 14 and projects the thimble 16 upwardly so that valve 17 bears on seat 10 thus preventing any further upward flow of gas or liquid. Further inflow of liquid into the bottle 5 is also prevented by the gas pressure build up inside the bottle above the liquid level therein, and in practice using liquid inflow passageways through the filling valve of normal size the stoppage of inflow of liquid is almost instantaneous with the seating of valve 17.

The branched port 12 must necessarily be of relatively large size to allow for rapid inflow of liquid to project the thimble upwardly. The size of the ports 18 is fairly critical since they must allow a substantial inflow of gas but on the other hand must only allow a restricted outflow of liquid to ensure that the strongly preferential path of liquid flow is upwardly through nozzle 14. In practice two ports 18 are used of diameter for filling operations under pressures of about 30 to psi.

After filling, a small amount of liquid will be contained in the sleeve 9 and plug 11 will gravitate into the bottle when the gas pressure in the bottle is released prior to capping, the venting via ports 20 assisting this and consequent dropping of the thimble back onto the nozzle.

During pregassing the gas is discharged at high velocity into the bottle and if directed as a jet onto the syrup would disturb it and cause foaming on subsequent release of pressure from the filled bottle. It is for this reason that port 12 is provided with the outwardly and downwardly directed branches 15 which direct the outflowing gas to the side of the bottle and also allow substantial liquid inflow. The auxiliary gas ports 20 act by providing additional paths for the gas flow to reduce the velocity of downward gas flow through the branches 15. It will be noted that the outlet ends 21 of ports 20 are directed radially outwardly and the inlet ends 22 communicate with the annulus 19. The ports 20 are of too small a diameter to allow any appreciable flow of liquid through them thus ensuring that at the end of a liquid filling operation substantially all the liquid flowing into the valve will be directed into nozzle 14.

While in the drawings for clarity, two ports 20 and two branches 15 are illustrated, additional ports and branches may be used, the diameters being varied accordingly.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. A filling valve for introduction of gasified liquids into containers including: a body, a filling outlet projecting from the body, a gas tube positioned in the filling outlet and a liquid fiow responsive valve at the bottom of the gas tube, said liquid flow responsive valve comprising a sleeve extending from the end of the gas tube, a bottom closure to the sleeve, a nozzle projecting upwardly from the bottom closure into the interior of the sleeve, an inwardly facing valve seat in said sleeve spaced upwardly from the top of the nozzle and communicating with the interior of the gas tube, a thirnble loosely fitted on the nozzle, a valve seating surface on the top of the thimble, a port through the bottom closure and communicating with the interior of the nozzle, and a port of restricted size through the wall of the nozzle and below the bottom of the thirnble and of a size to permit a substantial fiow of gas therethrough but to restrict the flow of liquid therethrough.

2. A filling valve in accordance with claim 1 including the provision of additional ports through said bottom closure, said additional ports being of appreciably smaller diameter than the port communicating with the interior of the nozzle, one end to each additional port communicating with the interior of the sleeve and the other end thereof directed radially outwardly from the sleeve.

3. A filling valve adapted to introduce gasified liquid A. and the like into containers comprising a body, a filling outlet projecting from said body, a gas exhaust conduit positioned in said filling outlet, a movable liquid flow responsive valve carried by the conduit, said liquid flow responsive valve comprising a valve seat, a passageway, a valve body having a valve seat sealing surface comprising a wall of said passageway, said passageway extending to the exterior of said liquid flow responsive valve, and a gaseous flow by-pass extending through a wall of said passageway about said valve body to said valve seat, said gaseous flow by-pass and passageway being so constructed and arranged that gas entering the passageway may flow outwardly through the gaseous flow by-pass without moving the liquid flow responsive valve into contact with the valve seat and so that liquid entering the passageway will be directed against the liquid flow responsive valve and effect movement of the same against the valve seat.

4. A filling valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said by-pass comprises a fluid conductor of smaller cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of said passageway.

5. A filling valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said by-pass extends through said passage at an angle to the normal flow of liquids therein.

6. A filling valve for introducing gasified liquids and the like into containers comprising a body, a filling outlet projecting from said body, a gas conduit positioned in said filling outlet means responsive to the flow of fluids thereagainst for closing the conduit, passageway means for directing the flow of liquid against said closing means to move said closing means to a conduit closing position, said passageway means including a gas by-pass means about said closing means, said gas by-pass means being of such dimensions and so oriented in the passageway means that gas will not fiow against the closing means with sufficient force to operate the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,354 9/13 Lauterbach 137-433 X 2,132,424 10/38 Frank 141286 X 2,590,386 3/52 Dobrick 137-433 X 2,794,453 6/57 Grosbois 141-303 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

6. A FILLING VALVE FOR INTRODUCING GASIFIED LIQUIDS AND THE LIKE INTO CONTAINERS COMPRISING A BODY, A FILLING OUTLET PROJECTING FROM SAID BODY, A GAS CONDUIT POSITIONED IN SAID FILLING OUTLET MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF FLUIDS THEREAGAINST FOR CLOSING THE CONDUIT, PASSAGEWAY MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE FLOW OF LIQUID AGAINST SAID CLOSING MEANS TO MOVE SAID CLOSING MEANS TO A CONDUIT CLOSING POSITION, SAID PASSAGEWAY MEANS INCLUDING A GAS BY-PASS MEANS ABOUT SAID CLOSING MEANS, SAID GAS BY-PASS MEANS BEING OF SUCH DIMENSIONS AND SO ORIENTED IN THE PASSAGEWAY MEANS THAT GAS WILL NOT FLOW AGAINST THE CLOSING MEANS WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO OPERATE THE SAME. 